After registration it was back to the truck to get dressed as it was a balmy 5 degrees out and didn’t feel like freezing while getting dressed. This is where the first bad omen of the day came. As I put on my race gear, I went to pull my Camelback Race Back jersey hose out of where it was stuck and pulled the cap right off thus soaking my tights/chamois and SS jersey in the process. All I had in the truck so it was soaking wet I would be. Finished getting all geared up and then figured I should at least ride around to get halfway warmed up. Problem area in winter racing!!! As I rolled around I couldn’t help but feel off as I had developed a wonderful head cold 3 days earlier and it was still full throttle as I rolled my warm up.
Race Time!
So I lined up for the pre race meeting and start line knowing where I should be, at the front at least for the start. So 2nd row is where I ended up as they called up the top dogs for the series at the race. Hoped it wouldn’t matter any way. Bang!!! Time to roll.
The race opened up with a 1/4 mile dash to a turn around cone in which we would then fly back down the same road towards the start line again and off into the wider horse trail for the parade lap. Got off good and was sitting in with the front line as I flew into the snowy double track. Sitting a little over 10th and seeing that I needed to bridge a gap before it got away I made a push and grabbed onto the tail end of the lead train of around 7 riders. Felt ok for the start, heart rate a little high and breathing labored I kept the push on knowing I needed to be here if I wanted to do anything in this race. Got through the parade lap just fine and finally started the 1st of 4 Singletrack loops of around 10 miles.
Hitting the single track for the first lap I noticed right away that the trail was in pretty solid condition, the only thing that I did notice is that it was a very icy layer of cornstarch snow on top. Every corner I was struggling to hold an edge and keep the bike on trail. This would be the story of the day for me!!! It was in the first 4 miles of the 1st lap that my race would go to shit and the beginning of a long day would happen. As I went down the trail, all of a sudden BANG!! I slammed my head into a low hanging branch. Fuzzy, seeing double and wobbling around on the bike I slammed into a tree with my handlebars. OMEN #2. Just this past week I had done the same thing on the Decorah trails except I had broke my helmet in 3 and suffered what I diagnosed as a mild concussion. Well that concussion was back again as now my head throbbed and I was having trouble balancing the bike. Nonetheless I carried on pushing hard to hold onto the trail that rolled up on me. I was still sitting top 10 at this point and felt I could push on.
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| Toward beginning still feeling fresher! |
After some fast, slippery single track the course opened into the prairie section that seemed to be the toughest section every lap. This section was complete whiteout conditions in that it was terribly flat light and you couldn’t tell where the trail was at because of this. Pushed on and was off the bike more than I have ever been in the opening 10 miles of a race like this. Got through the opening lap and knew I needed to get some fluids in after a rough 1st lap and Omen #3 hit, FROZEN WATER!! OH NO!!!!!!!
Well my water in my Camelback line was frozen solid, both bottles were solid. Only thing to do was head out for lap #2. This lap went about like the first except the trail started to get worst and worst. This the lap that the ruts started to appear in the trail. Also during this lap the prairies section added a new challenge as large, large snow started to fall. The race was expecting 1-2 inches of snow during the race so on I went trying to again make out where the trail was. This time the trail threw another wrench into the mix as you tried to fly to catch up all of a sudden the trail sunk and you were slogging through powder trying just to stay upright. When you did put a foot down you had to make sure that you didn’t go off trail with that foot otherwise it was into 2 ft. of powder you toppled! Well only did this another 10-20 times during the race, as my Cobrafists would attest to at the end of the race (3-4 inches of snow in them!).
Lap 2 went by and still I rolled on. This time I stopped to see if my two bottles in my cooler were ok or frozen. Luckily there was little non-frozen drink in these so I got as much out of it as I could (10 oz. possibly) and off for Lap 3.
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| This was a good looking part of trail! |
Lap 3 was more of the same with much more pushing up hills and some downhills were starting to require a kickstand leg out to stay upright. The trail had developed significant ruts everywhere and it was challenging to get any momentum at all. Still pushed through and pulled into the pits one last time. It was here that I figured I needed to finish the 4 laps at least never one to DNF and keeping my pride alive!! I pushed out for Lap 4 at around 3 hrs. into the race. I had all but lost hope of a good finish and was just trying to finish the race now.
Lap 4 was some of the worst riding I have done in a long time. Riding is not the word for it as a majority of the lap was spent walking not only uphills but also downhills as it was very rutted, soft and not much fun anymore. Still though pushed on and pushed on. On this lap I ticked off the miles and kept looking for my checkpoints I had established on previous laps to know where I was. Pushed hard as I could as I wanted to finish the race and be done!! Across the line I rolled not knowing where I stood and not really caring much other than to get a drink of some water in my system having had little to none throughout the race.
So after the race found out where I stood after all. 8th Place Overall in a time of 4:33:06. Long day in the saddle with a refreshed mild concussion, very frozen water (no water) and head cold to boot!! The race overall was a very well put on race. Major props to the race directors, volunteers and anyone else that helped. Trail conditions are a part of the sport and only the strongest will continue to push onto the end. Great talking with Ben Welnak from MountainBikeRadio. About all. Time to enjoy the non-existent Blizzard raging outside the house! Until next time…..
